THIRD OF WOMEN PRISONERS OUT ON THE STREETS

Almost one in three of the population in the new women's jail beside
Mountjoy prison in Dublin were out on temporary release last week.

The figures reflect the growing numbers being either jailed or remanded by
the courts despite the increased capacity in cell spaces as part of the
Government's prison building programme.

The pounds 13.5m jail was built to hold 80 inmates and opened last
September by Justice Minister John O'Donoghue. It is comprised of small
self-contained houses for 10 offenders with facilities for recreation in
each unit.

But statistics compiled by the authorities last week showed that on one
particular day the prison held 73 inmates while another 45 were out on
temporary release. In the nearby male Mountjoy prison, there were 752
inmates locked up and 55 on temporary release.

TOUGHER

Overall, however, the numbers allowed out early because of a shortage of
accommodation have dropped dramatically over the past five years as a
result of the extra prison space and the tough stance adopted on temporary
release by the Minister.

In January 1996, the country's jails held a total of 2001 in custody while
352 or 15pc were out on temporary release. The corresponding figures for
last month were 2652 and 197 or 7pc on temporary release.

Meanwhile, a second drug treatment programme will get under way shortly at
the health care unit in Mountjoy, according to the Minister. The initial
programme was opened in July 1996 and is based on a detoxification and
therapeutic counselling course for groups of nine offenders over six weeks.

RELAPSE

A total of 214 inmates have successfully completed the programme in the
drug treatment unit to date. A study of the programme shows an annual
relapse rate of 78pc.

The Minister said that while this figure might seem high, it compared
favourble with inpatient detoxification programmes internationally, which
have an average relapse rate of 90pc.

``The reality is that the majority of addicts may become drug free and
relapse several times before succeeding in becoming drug free for an
extended period,'' he added.

The drug free unit in operation at the Training Unit adjacent to Mountjoy
has accommodation for 96 offenders and allows those who do not have a
background of drug abuse or are trying to stop taking drugs to be detained
in a secure, drug-free environment.